Happy To Be Here

Greta Johnsen
Happy To Be Here
Último episódio

670 episódios

  • Happy To Be Here

    GRETAGRAM book club: 'Dear Monica Lewinsky,' discussed!

    26/06/2026 | 39min
    The June GRETAGRAM book club selection is Julia Langbeing’s Dear Monica Lewinsky, a novel that explores sainthood, desire, the legacy of Monica Lewinsky, and the history of horny nuns.
    Host Greta Johnsen discusses the book with Gwen Kirby, the author of the wonderful short story collection Shit Cassandra Saw. Together, we unpack what makes this book SO GOOD, from tone to topic to setting to structure.

    SHOW CREDITS
    Creator and host: Greta Johnsen
    Senior Producer: Ben Goldberg
    Composers: Ross Bellenoit and Jeremy Thal
    Tile art: Mac Maclean
    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
  • Happy To Be Here

    GRETAGRAM book club: Julia Langbein on 'Dear Monica Lewinsky'

    05/06/2026 | 22min
    It’s the first Friday of the month, which means it’s time for a new book to read! This month’s selection is Julia Langbein’s phenomenal novel Dear Monica Lewinsky, and Julia is today's guest on the show.
    The book is about Jean, whose life was derailed the summer after her sophomore year in college. When she travels to France to study medieval religious history, she meets a charismatic professor and decides to pursue an affair with him. The repercussions of that choice echo through her life, and she’s still haunted as an adult.
    When she realizes her summer abroad was the same summer the Monica Lewinsky story broke in the United States, Jean prays to Monica, asking for forgiveness. That’s when a vision of Monica Lewinsky appears to Jean, and she’s able to relive her summer in France.
    When Tom Perrotta blurbed Julia’s first novel American Mermaid, he said, “It probably shouldn’t work, but it succeeds brilliantly, thanks to Julia Langbein’s tonal control and wicked sense of humor,” and the same can be said for Dear Monica Lewinsky.
    This book may be hard to describe, but it’s a joy to read, and it’s also a searing examination of female desire and the prices we pay to pursue it.
    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
  • Happy To Be Here

    GRETAGRAM book club: 'Whidbey,' discussed!

    29/05/2026 | 24min
    It’s the last Friday of May, which means it’s time to discuss T Kira Madden’s novel Whidbey!
    Host Greta Johnsen talks to self-professed T Kira stan Kristen Arnett, the author of several novels. (Her most recent book, Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One, is especially wonderful!)
    They unpack what makes this complex novel so readable: nuanced themes, compelling characters, tangible sense of place, and propulsive plot.
    TRIGGER WARNING: This book deals with themes of child sexual abuse, which we discuss.
    SPOILER ALERT: This episode includes spoilers for the book. If you haven’y read it yet a nd you don’t want to know what happens, listen to the spoiler-free author interview here.
    For more information on the GRETAGRAM book club, sign up for Greta's newsletter, GRETAGRAM!

    SHOW CREDITS
    Creator and host: Greta Johnsen
    Senior Producer: Ben Goldberg
    Composers: Ross Bellenoit and Jeremy Thal
    Tile art: Mac Maclean

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
  • Happy To Be Here

    9 books to read this summer

    22/05/2026 | 32min
    Host Greta Johnsen talks to two of her favorite readers -- MJ Franklin, an editor at the New York Times Book Review and host of The Book Review Book Club podcast, and Traci Thomas, who hosts the wonderfully bookish podcast The Stacks.
    Even though the three of them have WILDLY different reading tastes, they also have an abundance of respect for each other, so these conversations are always a treat. Here’s a list of each of their recommendations:

    Greta’s picks:
    The Children, Melissa Albert (June 2)
    Land, Maggie O’Farrell (June 2)
    Etna, Paul Yoon August 4

    Traci’s picks:
    Crossroads: A Memoir in Baseball and Life, Dusty Baker (June 9)
    The Great Wherever, Shannon Sanders (July 7)
    Seasons of Fury: Four Families and the Rise of Islamophobia in America, Rozina Ali (August 25)

    MJ’s picks:
    Country People, Daniel Mason (July 7)
    Fixer Chao, Han Ong (July 14)
    The Mortons, Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld (July 21)

    SHOW CREDITS
    Creator and host: Greta Johnsen
    Senior Producer: Ben Goldberg
    Composers: Ross Bellenoit and Jeremy Thal
    Tile art: Mac Maclean
    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
  • Happy To Be Here

    Swoony songs for summer

    15/05/2026 | 10min
    WXPN morning host and assistant music director Kristen Kurtis offers host Greta Johnsen three songs to enjoy this summer, and they are all BOPS:
    Zinadeplhia, “River”
    Parlor Greens, “Eat Your Greens”
    Allison Russell, “Cold April” ft. Kara Jackson, Denitia, and Explore! Pop Choir

    SHOW CREDITS
    Creator and host: Greta Johnsen
    Senior Producer: Ben Goldberg
    Composers: Ross Bellenoit and Jeremy Thal
    Tile art: Mac Maclean
    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Mais podcasts de Sociedade e cultura
Sobre Happy To Be Here
Happy To Be Here is a new interview podcast for the recovering perfectionist and the perpetually curious, full of conversations that make you feel right at home and allow you to learn a little bit about almost anything.Host Greta Johnsen (formerly of Nerdette) invites you to meet journalists, chefs, authors, and all kinds of excellent humans who will delight and inspire you. Packed with recommendations for stuff to eat, read, watch, and enjoy, this show is great for helping you make sure you actually take it easy this weekend, wherever you might happen to be.
Site de podcast

Ouça Happy To Be Here, NerdCast e muitos outros podcasts de todo o mundo com o aplicativo o radio.net

Obtenha o aplicativo gratuito radio.net

  • Guardar rádios e podcasts favoritos
  • Transmissão via Wi-Fi ou Bluetooth
  • Carplay & Android Audo compatìvel
  • E ainda mais funções
Happy To Be Here: Podcast do grupo